Welcome to the forum!
I'm like you, that I have a huge sweet tooth. I still have it, but I like to think that I'm in a little more control now.
I know a huge part of it for me was just not having the unhealthy foods in the house. Even now if I "splurge" at the grocery store and buy something yummy but unhealthy, I don't have a lot of will-power around it. But if I don't buy it at all, then I can't possibly eat it.
It sounds like you're fairly active, even with your knee and ankle problems, so as long as it's not causing you pain, that's good.
That sucks that the lapband isn't working for you anymore, and that a lot of food gets stuck. I'm afraid I don't know too much about it.
Would you want to continue with the lapband and use that as a tool, or get it unfilled, and just concentraite on your eating without getting food stuck? (can it even do that?
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